Knitted fabric



Patented Dee.. 21, 1943 Eugene St. Pierre, Pawtucket, R. I., assigner toHemphill Company, Central Falls, R. I., a oorporation of MassachusettsOriginal application November 2, 1938, Serial No. 238,462. Divided andthis application May 19, 1943, Serial N0. 487,565

(Cl. (i6-'172) 4 Claims.

K tional manner a section of fabric knitted in accordance with theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a view showing a half hose in the top of which such fabricmight be advantageously employed.

In United States Patent #2,131,720 an elastic fabric for similarpurposes has been illustrated and claimed and this case involves certainimprovements over the fabric of that case. Among the advantages to beobtained is that of knitting a wider fabric for a given diameter ofneedle cylinder and a similar amount of tension as applied to theelastic yarn. Other advantages will be apparent.

The fabric is knitted on a machine very similar to that employed to knitthe fabric of the patent above mentioned and a very similar method ofknitting is employed, however, one notable difference is that of feedingthe elastic yarn in the initial or selvage course at one level andthereafter dropping said elastic yarn to feed at a different level, thisnecessitating only a slight change in the mechanism so as to give theelastic yarn feeding means at the auxiliary feed a capability ofselectively assuming two different positions. The construction of themachine would involve a main feeding station, an auxiliary feedingstation and needle selection at the auxiliary station whereby theneedles taking yarn and knitting at that station will be raised to twodifferent heights. This is generally termed a needle division and meansfor creating such division are so well known as to be unnecessary ofdetailed explanation here. At the main feeding station a main yarn oryarns of usual character- 'elastic yarn, but it is to be realized thatsince the fabric is to be started in thisv fashion, no other loops wereupon the needles, and thus the elastic is not drawn through anything sothat the loops are merely temporarily drawn and then released at asubsequent point. As these needles have drawn the said elastic yarn andpass around to the main feeding station all of them will take a plainyarn such as cotton, silk, or other material, and will knit that plainyarn casting of! the elastic previously drawn. 'Ihe result of this isthat the elastic will be threaded through each sinker loop in aknownfashion and will constitute along with the plain stitches, aselvage.

On the next revolution of the machine the elastic yarn feeding means isdropped to a lower position in which it will feed to thehooks of all theneedles although these needles are still presented for taking theelastic yarn in accordance with the same needle division previouslyexisting. The elastic will not -be fed beneath the latchs of any ofthese needles. The stitch cam at this auxiliary feed is still in buttengaging position and will immediately draw all needles downwardly todraw stitches of this elastic yarn which was just fed. The stitchesdrawn from the plain yarn at the main feed were, of course, still on theneedle shanks, but were cleared or passed below the latches only ofthose needles which were raised or divided to the higher position. Theresult at this particular point is that those needles raised to a higherposition and upon which the plain yarn stitches were cleared willimmediately draw the loops of elastic yarn through the last drawnstitches of plain yarn. The intermediate needles, those divided to thelower position, not having cleared their latches of the previously drawnplain loops, will merely take the elastic yarn in their hooks and willhold it in addition to those previously drawn stitches of plain yarn. Inother words those needles divided to the lower position are merelyloading. up with two loops, one of plain yarn and one of elastic yarn,and will be knitting something very similar to a tuck stitch.

Now as these needles pass around to the main feeding station they willagain take the plain yarn just as in the previous instance. On theA.needles which had been raised to a higher position at the auxiliaryfeed, stitches of plain yarn will merely be knitted through the lastknitted loops of elastic. The intermediate needles, those divided to thelower position, will knit their plain yarn loops through both apreviously drawn loop of plain material and the last knitted loop ofelastic thus casting off the held or tuck stitch. This completes theselvage or fast edge and knitting the next course or courses of plainand elastic material after which the cycle is merely continued with theauxiliary yarn feeding lever feeding its elastic yarn in the lower orsame position which it did for the course or courses following theselvage.

Now referring to Fig. 1, a conventional showing has been made of thefabric wherein the elastic yarn l fed at the auxiliary side is shown inthe initial course of plain yarn 2, passing through each snker loop ofthat course. For purposes of illustration, wales numbered 3, 5,1, 9 andil are those `knitted by every other or alternate needles such as wereseparated or divided to be raised to the higher position at theauxiliary feed. The intermediate wales d, E, d and it are those knittedby the so-called intermediate needles which are raised to the lowerelevation at the auxiliary side. Following down Wale 3, the loop i2 isthe rst-loop of plain yarn' drawn at the main side. That loop is castoff at the auxiliary side as the next loop, a loop of elastic yarn, ati3, is drawn at the auxiliary side. At the Wale d, and other evennumbered wales the loop ill is drawn in the first course knitted at themain side and the loop i5 which appears more or less as a sort of .floatheld between the needle loop lil and the sinker loops of sinuous path,tension would presumably be such as to straighten this yarn as it wascast from the needle. The kinks are shown at 3, 5, etc., merely to showwhich needles take that yarn. Furthermore, the loops i3 would be muchsmaller than indicated since the elastic is knitted under some tensionand those loops would contract more or less. Depending upon thecontraction of the loops i3 and a possible robbing o f loops I2 to drawout loops itl and i5, the loops i8 would be shorter in actual practicethan has been illustrated in this conventional showing. Obviously, theamount of tension, the tightness of stitch and other considerationswould make considerable difference in the relative size of loops and inthe ultimate appearance of the fabric.

For general purposes such as knitting mock rib, garter tops onstockings, the elastic is fed under a light tension, one merelysufficient to assure satisfactory knitting and a suitable retainingeffect for the garter. The loops la take the place of actual floats inthe previously patented fabric and thus are held between sinker andneedle loops so that the fabric is somewhat assaaii smoother at thispoint. The contraction will normally be slightly less so that a fulleror Wider fabric is knitted for a given amount of tension and for aknitting machine of a given size.

In Fig. 2, a half hose is illustrated having the usual leg i9, foot 2Q,heel 2i and toe 22. The stocking top 23 is knitted in conformity withthe invention described with respect to Fig. l wherein the wales 3, 5,l, etc., are drawn to the inner side of the fabric and Wales d, E, 8,etc., are forced to the front or outer side to produce a rib-likeappearance. The stitches l5 prevent an excessive corrugation of thefabric and tend to retain it in flatter form. This elastic top may beknitted with varying degrees of tightness in accordance with theappearance desired and the retaining characteristics. sought. The factthat the fabric is flatter and does not contract to so great a degreeafter being cast from the.

needles for a given amount of tension in the elastic, makes it moresuitable for larger tops such as might be employed in ladies full lengthhosiery.

This fabric may be used in the form herein illustrated, that is, as aplain top, or may be employed in such tops as knitted in childrenshosiery being supplemented by wrap patterns. The wrap yarns are to beknitted on any desired needles and in any desired number of courses andin a manner such as described in the United States Patent 2,131,720.Other types of ornamentation such as horizontal striping, plating andreverse plating, etc., may be knitted in con- Y junction with theelastic. The invention is defined in the following claims.

I claim:

l. A plain knit elastic fabric comprising alternate courses of inelasticyarn and intervening courses of elastic yarn, the inelastic yarn beingknitted in every Wale and the elastic yarn being knitted in alternatewales and tucked with loops of the inelastic yarn in intervening wales.

2. A plain knit elastic fabric comprising a selvage followed byalternate courses of inelastic yarn and intervening courses of elasticyarn, the inelastic yarn being knitted in every wale and the elasticyarn being knitted in alternate wales and tucked With loops of theinelastic yarn in intervening wales.

3. A plain knit elastic fabric comprising a selvage in which an elasticyarn is threaded through sinker loops of an initial inelastic yarncourse and following courses of inelastic yarn and intervening coursesof elastic yarn in alternating relationship, the inelastic yarn beingknitted in every Wale and the elastic yarn being knitted in alternatewales and tucked with loops of the inelastic yarn in intervening wales.

4. A plain knit elastic fabric comprising courses of inelastic andelastic yarn knitted in such relationship that at spaced intervals acourse of elastic yarn follows next adjacent to an inelastic yarncourse, the construction being such that the inelastic yarn is knittedat each Wale while the elastic yarn is knitted in non-adjacent wales andis tucked with loops of the inelastic yarn at intervening wales.

EUGENE ST. PIERRE.

